Chair-Supported Strength

Sit toward the front of a sturdy chair or bench with your feet flat on the floor, roughly hip-width apart and drawn slightly back beneath your knees. Sit tall with your chest lifted and your arms crossed over your chest or reaching forward.

1. Inhale — hinge forward slightly from your hips, bringing your nose over your toes to load your weight into your feet.
2. Exhale — press through your heels and mid-feet to stand up fully, extending your hips and knees.
3. Inhale — bend your hips and knees to lower yourself back down with control until you are seated again.

• Shift your weight forward before you rise so your feet carry the load.
• Press through your heels and keep your knees tracking over your toes.
• Lower with control rather than dropping into the seat.
• Keep your chest lifted and your spine long throughout.

Detailed step-by-step instructions for this exercise are coming soon. For now, the image above shows the start and end position.

Stand tall facing a wall, chair, or counter and rest both hands on it for balance. Set your feet hip-width apart and lengthen through the crown of your head. Keep your hips square to the front and your core gently engaged.

1. Shift your weight onto one leg, keeping a soft bend in that knee.
2. Exhale — sweep your other leg straight back behind you, keeping it long and the foot relaxed.
3. Move the leg back to a comfortable height while keeping your torso upright, then pause briefly.
4. Inhale — lower the leg back down with control to meet the other foot.
5. Work through your repetitions, then work the other side.

• Keep your torso tall — let the leg travel back without arching your lower back or leaning forward.
• Draw the back of the hip together as the leg lifts, keeping the knee straight.
• Keep your hips square to the front rather than opening them out to the side.
• Move slowly and with control instead of kicking the leg back.

Stand tall near a wall, chair, or counter and rest one hand on it for balance. Set your feet hip-width apart with your weight settled onto the leg closest to the support. Lengthen through the crown of your head and keep your hips level.

1. Shift your weight fully onto your supporting leg, keeping a soft bend in that knee.
2. Exhale — lift your other leg out to the side, keeping it straight and the toes pointing forward.
3. Raise it to a comfortable height where your hips stay level, then pause briefly.
4. Inhale — lower the leg back down with control to meet the other foot.
5. Work through your repetitions, then turn around and work the other side.

• Lift the leg directly out to the side, not forward — keep your toes pointing ahead.
• Keep both hips level and your torso upright; don't lean toward the support to gain height.
• Let the outer hip do the work rather than swinging the leg up with momentum.
• Keep your standing knee soft and your core gently engaged for balance.

Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your weight balanced over the balls of your feet. Rest a hand on a wall or chair for balance if you like. Keep your legs straight without locking your knees.

1. Exhale — press through the balls of your feet to lift your heels, rising up as high as is comfortable.
2. Pause briefly at the top with your ankles fully extended.
3. Inhale — lower your heels back down with control to the start.

• Rise straight up through the balls of both feet.
• Pause at the top rather than bouncing at the bottom.
• Lower slowly and with control.
• Keep your ankles steady so they do not roll outward.

Sit on the floor with your right leg extended straight in front of you and your left knee bent, letting the sole of your left foot rest against your right inner thigh. Sit tall on the front of your sit-bones and flex your right foot toward you.

1. Inhale — lengthen your spine and reach the crown of your head upward.
2. Exhale — hinge forward from your hips over your right leg, reaching your hands toward your shin, ankle, or foot. Keep your spine long. Hold for the prescribed duration, breathing steadily.
3. Inhale to roll up to seated, then switch sides.

• Hinge from the hips rather than rounding the spine — a short fold with a long back is plenty.
• Keep a soft bend in the extended knee if your hamstrings feel tight.
• Keep the extended foot flexed so the toes point up.